Pet toy with chew holder

ABSTRACT

In one embodiment, a chew toy includes a first portion that can removably couple to a second portion of the chew toy. An outer surface of the first portion has a first opening to the interior of the chew toy. The second portion includes a first end, and the first end of the second portion includes a first surface for supporting the base of a chew that is larger than the first opening in a plane parallel to the first opening. When the second portion is removably coupled to the first portion the first surface is disposed in the interior of the chew toy and is offset from the first opening along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first opening.

PRIORITY CLAIM

This application is a divisional of, and claims the benefit under 35U.S.C. §§ 120-121 of, U.S. patent application Ser. No. 17/117,992,published as U.S. Patent Application Publication No. 2022/0183257 andfiled March 10 December 2020, the entirety of which is incorporatedherein by reference.

TECHNICAL FIELD

This disclosure generally relates to a pet toy that holds a chew for apet.

BACKGROUND

Many pets, particularly dogs, express a desire to chew objects. Objectsdesigned for a dog to recreationally chew, which may be referred to as a“chew,” can be made from synthetic or natural materials. For example, asynthetic chew may be made of plastic or rubber. However, pets such asdogs may express a preference for chews made of natural materials, suchas a rawhide chew, bully sticks, or chews made from other animal partssuch as tendons. In addition, synthetic chews may not be designed foringestion by the pet and may not be digestible, and if the pet consumesa synthetic chew then digestive complications may result. Thus, chewsmade of natural materials may be preferable to synthetic materials. Apet, such as a dog, may consume a natural chew over time, reducing thesize of the chew over time.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1A illustrates an example of a pet toy for securely holding a chew.

FIG. 1B illustrates an off-center bottom view of the components of thepet toy shown in FIG. 1A.

FIG. 1C illustrates an off-center top view of the components of the pettoy shown in

FIG. 1A.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cut-out side view of the assembled pet toy shown inFIG. 1A.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a pet toy with a chewholder.

DESCRIPTION OF EXAMPLE EMBODIMENTS

FIG. 1A illustrates an example of a pet toy for securely holding a chew,such as a bully stick. The pet toy of FIG. 1A includes a ball 150 thatforms the main body of the toy. As shown in FIG. 1A, ball 150 includes atop opening 160 and a bottom opening 170. As shown in FIG. 1A, ball 150may include cutout shapes 155 on the surface of ball 150. In particularembodiments, cutout shapes 155 may permit treats placed in the interiorof ball 150 to exit the ball as, for example, a pet plays with the ball.Thus, in particular embodiments, ball 150 may include an outer shellthat is substantially or entirely hollow, permitting pet treats to beplaced within the interior of ball 150. As illustrated in FIG. 1A,cutout shapes 155 may take different forms, such as a triangle, anellipse, a circle, or any other suitable shape. This disclosurecontemplates that cutout shapes may or may not be included on a pet toy,or may be included on only a portion of a body of the toy. Moreover,while the example toy of FIG. 1A is a ball, this disclosure contemplatesthat the pet toys described herein may take any suitable shape. Forexample, in particular embodiments, a pet toy may take the shape of abone, a cylinder, etc. This disclosure also contemplates that the pettoy may have various sizes. For example, the diameter of ball 150 shownin FIG. 1A may be, e.g., 4.5 inches, or may be larger or smaller.

As shown in FIG. 1A, the example pet toy includes chew holder 100. Asshown in FIG. 1A, chew holder 100 includes a bottom portion 120 and atop portion 110, described more fully herein. As described below, chewholder 100 is removable from ball 150 and can be inserted and securelyfixed to ball 150 to safely and securely attach a chew to ball 150.

FIG. 1B illustrates an off-center, bottom view of the components of thepet toy shown in FIG. 1A. The left side of FIG. 1B illustrates anoff-center, bottom view of chew holder 100. As shown in FIGS. 1A and 1B,bottom portion 120 of chew holder 100 may include a section that hasthreads on a portion of the outer surface of chew holder 100. As shownin FIG. 1B, the bottom portion of ball 150 may include bottom opening170. Similarly, the surface of ball 150 that is formed by bottom opening170 may include threads for receiving the threads on bottom portion 120of chew holder 100 for attaching chew holder 100 to ball 150. Thus, inthe embodiment show in FIG. 1B, chew holder 100 attaches to ball 150 byinserting top portion 110 into bottom opening 170 of ball 150, pushingchew holder 100 into ball 150, and turning chew holder 100 so that thethreads of bottom portion 120 of chew holder 100 screw into the threadsof bottom opening 170. As shown in FIG. 1B, the bottom of chew holder100 may include prongs 125, which form part of the bottom surface ofchew holder 100 or may be slightly recessed into the interior of chewholder 100. Bottom opening 170 and bottom portion 120 may have varioussizes, provided that, in this example, bottom portion 120 threads snuglyinto the threads on the outer surface of bottom opening 170. Forexample, the diameter of bottom opening 170 and of bottom portion 120may be approximately 1.5 to 3 inches, or any other suitable size.

As shown in FIG. 1B, prongs 125 permit a user to grasp (e.g., using athumb and two fingers) and turn chew holder 100 into and out of ball150, because the space between prongs 125 is hollow. For example, inparticular embodiments, when chew holder 100 is affixed to ball 150, thebottom surface of chew holder 100 may be flush with or slightly recessedinto ball 150, i.e., such that the bottom of chew holder 100 forms thepart of the surface of ball 150 that is absent from ball 150 as a resultof bottom opening 170.

Chew holder 100 may be difficult or impossible for a pet to remove fromball 150 once chew holder 100 is affixed to ball 150. Because the bottomsurface of chew holder 100 sits below or level with the surface of ball150, there is no protrusion of chew holder 100 which a pet could graspand pull with, e.g., its teeth. In addition, prongs 125 permit fingersto insert into chew holder 100 and push against prongs 125 to create arotational force to unscrew chew holder 100 from ball 150, but the sizeof the holes between chew holders 125 and the lack of digits in petsmake it difficult for pets to create the necessary rotational force onchew holder 100 relative to ball 150 to remove chew holder 100 from ball150.

In particular embodiments, chew holder 100 may be substantially hollowbetween top portion 110 and bottom portion 120. In particularembodiments, chew holder 100 may be partially or fully filled. WhileFIG. 1B illustrates three prongs 125 having a particular shape and levelwith the bottom surface of chew holder 100, this disclosure contemplatesthat chew holder 100 may have any suitable number of prongs or othercomponents for grasping or manipulating chew holder 100, and furtherthat those prongs may take any suitable shape. For example, chew holder100 may include a knob (e.g., a rounded handle, a gear-shaped knob,etc.) that extends from or is part of the end of chew holder 100 forinserting and removing chew holder 100 from ball 150, and that knob maybe permanently affixed or removable from chew holder 100.

FIGS. 1A and 1B illustrate chew holder 100 having a taper in its bodysuch that bottom portion 120 is larger than at least some of the rest ofthe body of chew holder 100. For example, bottom portion 120 may beapproximately 2.5 inches in diameter, while the body of chew holder 100may be approximately 1 and 1/16 inches in diameter after the taper. Asanother example, the body of chew holder 100 may be approximately ¾inches in diameter after the taper. In particular embodiments, thistaper helps chew holder 100 to easily insert into bottom opening 170 ofball 150, but this disclosure contemplates that chew holder 100 may haveany suitable shape with or without taper. Moreover, as described morefully in connection with FIG. 3 , this disclosure contemplates that achew holder (e.g., chew holder 100 in the example of FIGS. 1A-C) maytake any suitable shape and may not be entirely or partially removablefrom at least part of the pet toy. In addition, while the discussion ofthe example embodiment of FIGS. 1A-B above describes affixing chewholder 100 to ball 150 using threads, this disclosure contemplates anysuitable mechanism for securing chew holder 100 to ball 150. Forexample, a chew holder may attach to a ball by a clipping or lockingmechanism, such as a push-activated mechanism, that locks and unlocks bypushing the chew holder into the ball through a hole. As anotherexample, the ball may include a cap (which may be attached to the ball)that the user can pry open, insert the chew holder, and then close tosecure the chew holder to the ball. This disclosure contemplates anysuitable mechanism for affixing the chew holder to the pet toy.Moreover, while the example of FIGS. 1A-B show bottom opening 170 asbeing circular and chew holder 100 as being cylindrical, this disclosurecontemplates that bottom opening 170 and chew holder 100 may take anysuitable shape (which may not necessarily be the same shape as long aschew holder 100 fits into the pet toy). In addition, the shape and sizeof bottom opening 170 and chew holder 100 may vary based on the shape ofthe pet toy.

FIG. 1C illustrates an off-center top view of chew holder 100 and ball150. As shown on the right of FIG. 1C, ball 150 includes a top opening160. In the example of FIGS. 1A-C, top opening 160 is opposite bottomopening 170 along the diameter of ball 150. As shown on the left of FIG.1C, chew holder 100 includes a top portion 110. Top portion 110 ofexample chew holder 100 includes a rim 112 connected by walls to a base114. As shown in FIG. 1C, base 114 and rim 112 (as well as the wallsleading from base 114 to rim 112) form an opening in top portion 110 ofchew holder 100. As explained more fully below in connection with FIG. 2, in the example of FIGS. 1A-C, this opening holds the base of the chewwithin the pet toy.

Chew holder 100 may be partially, fully, or substantially hollowthroughout its length, or may be primarily solid. The opening in topportion 110 formed by base 114 and rim 112 may be approximately 1 inchin diameter, and the hole illustrated in base 114 may be approximately ¼inch in diameter. The body of chew holder 100 may be 1 and 1/16 inchesin diameter and may be hollow, such that chew holder is hollow belowbase 114 (i.e., moving from top portion 110 to bottom portion 120 ofchew holder 100). In particular embodiments, the walls leading from base114 to rim 112 may be approximately ½ inch in length, creating acylindrical opening that is, e.g., 1 inch in diameter by ½ inches inlength. Rim 112 may take any suitable thickness, such as for example athickness of ⅛ inch. When chew holder 100 is hollow throughout itslength, ⅛ inch may also be the thickness of the materials forming thebody of the chew holder. However, this disclosure contemplates that thethickness of the chew holder may vary along its length and may be moreor less hollow along its length, e.g., to balance the toy so that thecenter of mass of the pet toy when the chew holder is inserted into theball runs approximately through the center of the ball.

FIG. 2 illustrates a cut-out side view of an example pet toy. The pettoy of FIG. 2 holds chew 190. As shown in FIG. 2 , chew 190 includes achew base 195 that sits within the opening of top portion 110 of chewholder 100 illustrated in FIG. 1C. In the example of FIG. 2 , themajority of chew 190 extends outside of ball 150 and is accessible to bechewed by a pet. A portion 192, which includes base 195, of chew 190sits within ball 150, and therefore is not accessible by the pet. Thatis, a pet can chew 190 until chew 190 is substantially flush with theupper surface of ball 150. Thus, while the pet can reduce chew 190 whilechew 190 extends from ball 150, the pet cannot put the entirety of chew190 in its mouth when chew 190 is reduced to a size that represents achoking hazard to the pet (which, as explained below, may be the size ofportion 192, which includes base 195), because chew 190 is affixed tothe inner portion of ball 150. The pet cannot consume ball 150, andtherefore when the pet reduces chew 190 to a size at which the pet maychoke, the pet cannot choke on chew 190 because it is affixed to ball150. As shown with reference to FIGS. 1A, 1C, and 2 , top portion 110 ofchew holder 100 sits below top opening 160 of ball 150 when chew holder100 is affixed to ball 150, i.e., the chew-holder opening in top portion110 is in the plane parallel to top opening 160 but is offset from topopening 160 in a direction below (given the orientation of the pet toyin FIG. 2 ) and perpendicular to the plane of top opening 160.

In particular embodiments, the size of chew portion 192 that the petcannot access (as portion 192 extends from the upper surface of ball 150to the bottom of base 195 within the interior of the ball) is smallerthan the size at which a pet typically risks choking. Thus, after a petchews chew 190 flush with ball 150, the pet owner can remove unchewedportion 192 (which includes base 195) from the pet toy and give thatportion to the pet, both reducing choking risk and the typical wasteassociated with having to throw away a portion of a chew once it isreduced to a size that the pet could choke on. In the example embodimentof FIG. 2 , the height of portion 192 is approximately equal to theheight of the chew holder opening in top portion 110 and the thicknessof the surface of ball 150 (or substantially equal to those dimensions,as, e.g., there may be a small gap between rim 112 of chew holder 100and the interior surface of ball 150 when chew holder 100 is affixed toball 150). For example, as described above, the chew holder opening intop portion 110 may have a height of ½ inch, and the thickness of ball150 may be ⅛ inch, so that the height of portion 192 may be ⅝ inch. Inthis example, the height of base 195 may be ½ inch. This disclosurecontemplates, however, larger and smaller sizes for portion 192, base195, the height of the chew holder opening in top portion 110, and thethickness of ball 150.

As described above, the chew-holder opening in top portion 110 may be acylinder having a 1-inch diameter and a ½-inch length, and base 195 ofchew 190 may have substantially similar dimensions. In particularembodiments, the width of base 195 of chew 190 may be sized slightlylarger than the diameter of the chew-holder opening in top portion 110so that base 195 snuggly squeezes into that opening. In particularembodiments, the width of base 195 of chew 190 may be sized the same asor slightly smaller than the diameter of the chew-holder opening in topportion 110.

When chew 190 is secured to the pet toy as shown in FIG. 2 , the size ofchew base 195 (and therefore the chew-holder opening in top portion 110of chew holder 100) and the size of rim 112 in the dimensions parallelto the plane of top opening 160 are larger than the diameter of topopening 160. For example, the diameter of the chew-holder opening in topportion 110 may be 1 inch, and base 195 may have a substantially similardiameter, while the diameter of top opening 160 may be ¾ inches, orless. This configuration ensures that chew 190 is not removable fromball 150 through top opening 160. In other words, as discussed morefully below, a force parallel to the body of chew holder 100 in FIG. 2will not pull chew 190 through top opening 160 of ball 150 because thatforce would cause base 195 of chew 190 or rim 112 of chew holder 100 (orboth) to contact and press against the interior, rigid upper surface ofball 150 near top opening 160. Thus, while the majority of the body ofchew 190 is small enough, relative to the size of top opening 160, toextend through top opening 160, the width of base 195 of chew 190 islarger than the diameter of top opening 160, ensuring that the entirechew 190 cannot be removed from ball 150 when chew holder 100 is affixedto ball 150.

As explained above, in the example embodiment of FIG. 2 . a forceparallel to the body of chew holder 100 is insufficient to pull chew 190through top opening 160 of ball 150 when chew holder 100 is secured toball 150, as the width of base 195 of chew 190 is larger than thediameter of top opening 160 of ball 150. As shown in the exampleembodiment of FIG. 2 , base 195 of chew 190 may be secured within a chewholder opening of top portion 110 of chew holder 100, formed at least inpart by the walls leading to rim 112 of chew holder 100. In particularembodiments, base 195 of chew 190 fits snuggly within the chew holderopening of top portion 110 of chew holder 100, such that there is somefrictional force between base 195 of chew 190 and the walls that lead torim 112. In particular embodiments, the chew holder opening of topportion 110 may be sized so that base 195 of chew 190 simply restswithin the opening, without being squeezed by the walls of top portion110 that form the opening.

As shown in FIGS. 1C and 2 , when chew 190 is secured to ball 150 bychew holder 100, chew 190 cannot be pushed out of ball 150 throughbottom opening 170 by a downward force parallel to the body of chew 190.For example, as shown in FIGS. 1C and 2 , a force on chew 190 in thatdirection would result in a force by base 195 of chew 190 on base 114 oftop portion 110 of chew holder 100. In the example of FIG. 2 , thiswould ultimately result in a force between bottom portion 120 of chewholder 100 and ball 150. For example, when chew holder 100 is threadedinto bottom opening 170 of ball 150 as discussed in connection with FIG.1B, the threadings between bottom portion 120 and the interior surfaceof bottom opening 170 prevent chew holder 100, and thus chew 190 whenaffixed to ball 150, from being pushed out of ball 150. Moreover, when apet attempts to pull or push chew 190 out of the pet toy, the forcepreventing the pet from doing so is distributed along the surface ofball 150 near top opening 160 and bottom opening 170, respectively. Andif a pet were to exert a force on chew 190 perpendicular to the body ofchew 190 (i.e., parallel to the plane of opening 160), then chew 190 isheld in place by the rigidity of ball 150 near top opening 150, by thecontact between chew 190 and the inner surface of ball 150 and/orbetween top portion 110 of chew holder 100 and the inner surface of ball150, or both.

FIG. 1C and FIG. 2 illustrate chew holder 100 as having an opening thatreceives chew base 195 of chew 190. However, this disclosurecontemplates any suitable form for securing chew base 195 of chew 190 toball 150. For example, rather than having an opening in the top portion110 of chew holder 100, a chew holder may have a surface flush with rim112 on which chew base rests. That surface may be rim 112 itself, or maybe a surface that extends partially or entirely along the top portion ofchew holder 100 (e.g., a surface in the plane of rim 112 extending overwhat is illustrated as the chew holder opening in top portion 110). Insuch embodiments, chew base 195 is still larger than top opening 160,and therefore chew 190 is secured to ball 150 and cannot be pulledthrough top opening 160. In particular embodiments, a chew holder suchas chew holder 100 may be partially or entirely hollow along its length.

While FIGS. 1A-C and FIG. 2 show top opening 160, chew 190, chew base195, chew holder opening of top portion 110, and rim 112 as all having acircular shape, in some embodiments all or some of those components(when present) may not have a circular shape. In particular embodiments,some of those components may have a different shape than other of thosecomponents. For example, rim 112 may be circular, while chew base 195and the chew holder opening of top portion 110 may have a rectangularshape. As another example, chew base 195 may have a rectangular shapewhile the body of chew 190 has a circular shape. As another example, thebody of chew 190 and top opening 160 of ball 150 may have a rectangular,triangular, or star-like shape. However, in other embodiments topopening 160 and the body of chew 190 may have a different shape, as longas chew body 190 fits through top opening 160. As explained above, ineach of these embodiments base 195 of chew 190 is larger than topopening 160, preventing chew 190 from being pulled out of ball 150through top opening 160. For example, base 195 (and, the chew holderopening of top portion 110), may have a diameter of 1-2 inches, whilethe diameter of top opening 160 and the diameter of the body of chew 190above base 195 may be approximately ¾ inch.

While FIG. 2 illustrates top portion 110 of chew holder 100 as beinglarger than (and indeed, holding within it) base 195 of chew 190, thisdisclosure contemplates that base 195 may be larger than top portion 110of chew holder 100. For example, at least part of the bottom of base 195may contact the top surface of chew holder 100, which may press at leastpart of the top of base 195 against the interior surface of ball 150. Inparticular embodiments, a chew holder may not have a top portion with abase such as base 114 illustrated in FIG. 1C, even if the chew holderhas an opening in the top portion of the chew holder, as illustrated bythat figure. Instead, for example, the chew may contact the top surfaceof the chew holder (e.g., rest on rim 112 in FIG. 1C) or may squeezeinto the body of the chew holder, which, in particular embodiments maybe tapered along its length. For example, an upper portion of the chewholder may be tapered such that chews of different shapes may be pushedinto the body and securely fastened by the chew holder.

While FIGS. 1B and 2 illustrate bottom opening 170 and the bottomportion 120 as being circular, this disclosure contemplates that bottomopening 170 (if present, as explained below) and the bottom portion of achew holder may not have a circular shape, and may take differentshapes. For example, while the bottom hole and the bottom portion of achew holder would have a circular shape if the chew holder fastened tothe ball using threads, other shapes (e.g., rectangular, triangular,etc.) may be used with other fastening mechanisms. Moreover, while FIGS.1A-C and 2 illustrate chew holder 100 as having a circular shapethroughout its length (i.e., chew holder 100 as being cylindrical), thisdisclosure contemplates that a chew holder may have any suitable shape,and that its shape may vary along its length, as appropriate.

In the example of FIGS. 1A-C and FIG. 2 , a user assembles the examplepet toy by inserting a base of a chew into the chew holder openingformed by upper portion 110 of chew holder 100. The user then insertsthe chew, followed by chew holder 100, through bottom opening 170 inball 150 so that the body of the chew extends outside of ball 150through top opening 160 (e.g., as shown by chew 190 in FIG. 2 ). Theuser then attaches chew holder 100 to ball 150, e.g., as in FIG. 2 byturning the threads of bottom portion 120 of chew holder 100 into thethreads of bottom opening 170. Disassembly is performed by the oppositesequence of steps. This disclosure contemplates that, for otherembodiments, some of the steps may be different than those describedabove. For example, when an upper portion of a chew holder is a platformfor supporting a base of a chew, a user may first insert the chewthrough the bottom and top openings of a ball, and then insert the chewholder through the bottom opening to support the base of the chew and,in some embodiments, compress the base of the chew against the innersurface of the ball.

While FIGS. 1A-C and FIG. 2 illustrate a pet toy as having a single chewholder for holding a single chew, this disclosure contemplates that apet toy may have more than one chew and/or may have more than one chewholder. For example, a bone-shaped pet toy may have multiple chewholders, each holding a chew, arranged perpendicular to the length ofthe bone. As another example, with reference to FIG. 3 , chew holder 320may be a y-shaped chew holder, capable of supporting a chew at each endof the “y,” and instead of a single top hole 310 the toy may have a holeassociated with each chew in the outer surface of the ball. Thisdisclosure contemplates that a pet toy may not be limited to a singlechew holder and a single chew.

FIG. 3 illustrates an alternative embodiment of a pet toy with a chewholder. In the example of FIG. 3 , a pet toy includes a ball 300 thatincludes an upper portion 302 and a lower portion 304. Unlike the ballillustrated in FIG. 2 , in which ball 150 is a single component (e.g.,is molded into a single piece), the ball of FIG. 3 includes twosubcomponents that can be disassembled and reassembled along seams 306.For example, seams 306 may include threads that allow a user to screwand unscrew upper portion 302 and lower portion 304 from each other.Similarly, seams 306 may include components for snapping and unsnappingupper portion 302 from lower portion 304. This disclosure contemplatesthat any suitable mechanisms may be used for separating a pet toy, suchas the ball of FIG. 3 , into separate components. Moreover, while theexample of FIG. 3 illustrates each of upper portion 302 and lowerportion 304 as a half-sphere, this disclosure contemplates thatsubcomponents of a pet toy may take other shapes.

As shown in FIG. 3 , pet toy 300 includes a chew holder 320. In theexample of FIG. 3 , chew holder 320 is affixed to lower portion 304 ofball 300. Thus, unlike ball 150 of FIG. 2 , the ball of FIG. 3 does nothave a bottom opening.

In the example of FIG. 3 , a user may remove upper portion 302 fromlower portion 304 to reveal a permanently affixed chew holder 320,insert the chew into or onto the holder, feed the chew through topopening 310, and reassemble upper portion 302 to lower portion 304. Inthe example of FIG. 3 , a chew would extend from top opening 310 of ball300. As explained above, the base of the chew is large enough relativeto the diameter of top opening 310 so that it cannot be pulled out oftop opening 310. Likewise, the chew is secured to pet toy 300 by chewholder 320. For example, chew holder 320 may include a surface on whichthe base of the chew rests when inserted into pet toy 300, or chewholder 320 may include an opening (e.g., similar to that shown in FIG.1C), for holding the base of a chew. As explained above, assembled pettoy 300 ensures that a chew cannot be removed from pet toy 300 and thata pet cannot access a small portion of a chew that presents a chokinghazard. For example, a pet reducing a chew used in connection with pettoy 300 can only reduce the chew to flush with the upper surface ofupper portion 302 formed by top opening 310.

As explained above, while FIG. 3 illustrates pet toy 300 as being aball, this disclosure contemplates a pet toy may take any suitableshape. Likewise, while FIG. 3 illustrates chew holder 320 as beingpermanently affixed to pet toy 300, this disclosure contemplates thatchew holder 320 may be a removable component from a pet toy, e.g., achew holder that removably slides over a post affixed with ball 300. Asexplained above, this disclosure contemplates that top opening 310, achew, and a chew holder 320 may take any suitable shape, provided thatthe base of the chew is larger than top opening 310 so that the base ofthe chew cannot be pulled from the pet toy through top opening 310.

While FIG. 3 illustrates upper portion 302 and lower portion 304 of ball300 as attaching via seams 306, this disclosure contemplates that upperportion 302 and lower portion 304 may additionally or alternativelyattach via threads on the upper portion of the outer surface of chewholder 320 and threads on the inner surface of top opening 310 of upperportion 302. In these embodiments, the base of the chew would sit belowthe upper portion of chew holder 320. For example, in particularembodiments, a user may attach upper portion 302 to lower portion 304 bysimultaneous turning threads on seams 306 into each other and threads onan upper portion of chew holder 320 into threads on an inner surface oftop opening 310. Securing the subcomponents of the pet toy at two ormore distinct portions of the toy may make a pet, such as a dog, lesslikely to inadvertently open the toy and remove the chew from the toywhile playing with the toy.

Herein, “or” is inclusive and not exclusive, unless expressly indicatedotherwise or indicated otherwise by context. Therefore, herein, “A or B”means “A, B, or both,” unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicatedotherwise by context. Moreover, “and” is both joint and several, unlessexpressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context.Therefore, herein, “A and B” means “A and B, jointly or severally,”unless expressly indicated otherwise or indicated otherwise by context.

The scope of this disclosure encompasses all changes, substitutions,variations, alterations, and modifications to the example embodimentsdescribed or illustrated herein that a person having ordinary skill inthe art would comprehend. The scope of this disclosure is not limited tothe example embodiments described or illustrated herein. Moreover,although this disclosure describes and illustrates respectiveembodiments herein as including particular components, elements,feature, functions, operations, or steps, any of these embodiments mayinclude any combination or permutation of any of the components,elements, features, functions, operations, or steps described orillustrated anywhere herein that a person having ordinary skill in theart would comprehend.

What is claimed is:
 1. A method comprising: inserting a body of a chew through a first opening in a first portion of a chew toy such that at least a part of the body of the chew extends outside of the chew toy; and removably coupling a second portion of the chew toy to the first portion such that: a first end of the second portion comprising a first surface secures a base of the chew, that is larger than the first opening in a plane parallel to the first opening, against an inner surface of the first portion within the interior of the chew toy; and the first surface is disposed in the interior of the chew toy and is offset from the first opening along a direction perpendicular to the plane of the first opening.
 2. The method of claim 1, wherein: the first end of the second portion forms a chew-holder opening defined by an at least partially solid base coupled to walls that are coupled to a rim at a terminal end of the first end of the second portion; the at least partially solid base comprises the first surface for securing the base of the chew and the chew-holder opening is larger than the first opening in the plane parallel to the first opening; and the method further comprises inserting the base of the chew into the chew-holder opening of the first end of the second portion before inserting the body of the chew through the first opening in the first portion of the chew toy.
 3. The method of claim 2, wherein the chew-holder opening comprises a cylindrical shape.
 4. The method of claim 2, wherein the chew-holder opening is larger, in the plane parallel to the first opening, at the rim than at the at least partially solid base.
 5. The method of claim 2, wherein the chew-holder opening comprises a shape that is different than a shape of the first opening.
 6. The method of claim 2, wherein the second portion further comprises a second end opposite the first end of the second portion, and the second end removably couples the second portion to the first portion.
 7. The method of claim 6, wherein: the second end comprises threads on an outer surface of the second end; the first portion further comprises a second opening in the outer surface, the second opening being opposite the first opening and having threads on a surface of the second opening for receiving threads of a second end of the second portion, wherein the second opening is larger than the first opening; the method further comprises inserting the body of the chew and the first end of the second portion holding the base the chew through the second opening into the interior of the first portion; and removably coupling the second portion of the chew toy to the first portion comprises coupling the threads of the second end of the second portion into the threads of the second opening of the first portion.
 8. The method of claim 7, wherein the second end of the second portion further comprises a plurality of prongs for twisting the second portion relative to the first portion.
 9. The method of claim 2, wherein the first portion comprises a spherical shape and the second portion comprises a body having a cylindrical shape.
 10. The method of claim 9, wherein the body is at least partially hollow.
 11. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a single component.
 12. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion comprises a first subportion removable coupled to a second subportion.
 13. The method of claim 12, wherein the first subportion and the second subportion each comprise a half-sphere.
 14. The method of claim 1, wherein the first portion of the chew toy further comprises a plurality of second openings to the interior of the chew toy.
 15. The method of claim 1, wherein the first end of the second portion comprises a terminal end having a solid surface parallel to the first opening.
 16. The method of claim 1, wherein when the first portion is removably coupled to the second portion a distance between the first surface and the first opening is less than one inch. 